2 Kings 11:5

Hebrew Names Version

He commanded them, saying, This is the thing that you shall do: a third part of you, who come in on the Shabbat, shall be keepers of the watch of the king's house;

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
and commanded them, “This is what you are to do: A third of you who come on duty on the Sabbath are to provide protection for the king’s palace.

King James Version
And he commanded them, saying, This is the thing that ye shall do; A third part of you that enter in on the sabbath shall even be keepers of the watch of the king's house;

English Standard Version
And he commanded them, "This is the thing that you shall do: one third of you, those who come off duty on the Sabbath and guard the king's house

New Century Version
He commanded them, "This is what you must do. A third of you who go on duty on the Sabbath will guard the king's palace.

New English Translation
He ordered them, "This is what you must do. One third of the unit that is on duty during the Sabbath will guard the royal palace.

Amplified Bible
He commanded them, saying, "This is the thing that you shall do: a third of you who come in [reporting for duty] on the Sabbath shall keep watch over the king's house

New American Standard Bible
And he commanded them, saying, "This is the thing that you shall do: a third of you, who come in on the Sabbath and keep watch over the king's house

Geneva Bible (1587)
And he commanded them, saying, This is it that ye must doe, The third part of you, that commeth on the Sabbath, shall warde towarde the Kings house:

Legacy Standard Bible
And he commanded them, saying, "This is the thing that you shall do: one-third of you, who come in on the sabbath and keep watch over the king's house

Contemporary English Version
and said to them: Here's what I want you to do. Three of your guard units will be on duty on the Sabbath. I want one unit to guard the palace.

Complete Jewish Bible
and gave them this instruction: "Here is what you are to do: of you who come on duty on Shabbat, a third [normally] guards the royal palace,

Darby Translation
And he commanded them saying, This is the thing which ye shall do: a third part of you, that come in on the sabbath, shall be keepers of the watch of the king's house;

Easy-to-Read Version
Then Jehoiada gave them a command. He said, "This is what you must do. One-third of you, from those who go on duty on the Sabbath day, must stand guard at the royal palace.

George Lamsa Translation
And he commanded them, saying, This is the thing that you shall do: a third part of you who enter in on the sabbath shall keep guard of the kings house;

Good News Translation
and gave them the following orders: "When you come on duty on the Sabbath, one third of you are to guard the palace;

Lexham English Bible
He commanded them, saying, "This is the thing which you must do: one third of you who go off duty on the Sabbath, the keepers of the guard in the house of the king,

Literal Translation
And he commanded them, saying, This is the thing that you shall do. A third of you shall go in on the sabbath for keepers of the watch of the king's house.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and comaunded them, and sayde: This is it that ye shall do: One thirde parte of you which enter on the Sabbath, shall kepe the watch in the kynges house,

American Standard Version
And he commanded them, saying, This is the thing that ye shall do: a third part of you, that come in on the sabbath, shall be keepers of the watch of the king's house;

Bible in Basic English
And he gave them orders, saying, This is what you are to do: the third part of you, who come in on the Sabbath and keep the watch of the king's house,

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And he commaunded them, saying, This is it that ye must do: One third part of you, whose duetie is to come in on the Sabbath day, shall keepe the watch of the kinges house:

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And he commanded them, saying: 'This is the thing that ye shall do: a third part of you, that come in on the sabbath, and that keep the watch of the king's house--

King James Version (1611)
And he commanded them, saying, This is the thing that yee shall doe; A third part of you that enter in on the Sabbath, shall euen be keepers of the watch of the kings house:

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And charged them, saying, This is the thing which ye shall do.

English Revised Version
And he commanded them, saying, This is the thing that ye shall do: a third part of you, that come in on the sabbath, shall be keepers of the watch of the king’s house;

Berean Standard Bible
and commanded them, "This is what you are to do: A third of you who come on duty on the Sabbath shall guard the royal palace,

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And he comaundide to hem, and seide, This is the word, which ye owen to do;

Young's Literal Translation
and commandeth them, saying, `This [is] the thing that ye do; The third of you [are] going in on the sabbath, and keepers of the charge of the house of the king,

Update Bible Version
And he commanded them, saying, This is the thing that you shall do: a third part of you, that come in on the Sabbath, shall be keepers of the watch of the king's house;

Webster's Bible Translation
And he commanded them, saying, This [is] the thing that ye shall do; A third part of you that enter in on the sabbath shall even be keepers of the watch of the king's house;

World English Bible
He commanded them, saying, This is the thing that you shall do: a third part of you, who come in on the Sabbath, shall be keepers of the watch of the king's house;

New King James Version
Then he commanded them, saying, "This is what you shall do: One-third of you who come on duty on the Sabbath shall be keeping watch over the king's house,

New Living Translation
Jehoiada told them, "This is what you must do. A third of you who are on duty on the Sabbath are to guard the royal palace itself.

New Life Bible
He told them, "This is what you must do. One third of you who come in on the Day of Rest must keep watch over the king's house.

New Revised Standard
He commanded them, "This is what you are to do: one-third of you, those who go off duty on the sabbath and guard the king's house

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
and commanded them, saying - This, is the thing which ye must do, - A third part of you, will be coming in on the sabbath, and keeping the watch of the house of the king;

Douay-Rheims Bible
And he commanded them, saying: This is the thing that you must do.

Revised Standard Version
And he commanded them, "This is the thing that you shall do: one third of you, those who come off duty on the sabbath and guard the king's house

THE MESSAGE
Then he commanded them, "These are your instructions: Those of you who come on duty on the Sabbath and guard the palace, and those of you who go off duty on the Sabbath and guard The Temple of God , are to join forces at the time of the changing of the guard and form a ring around the young king, weapons at the ready. Kill anyone who tries to break through your ranks. Your job is to stay with the king at all times and places, coming and going."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
He commanded them, saying, "This is the thing that you shall do: one third of you, who come in on the sabbath and keep watch over the king's house

Contextual Overview

⁴ In the seventh year Yehoiada sent and fetched the captains over hundreds of the Kari and of the guard, and brought them to him into the house of the LORD; and he made a covenant with them, and took an oath of them in the house of the LORD, and shown them the king's son. ⁵ He commanded them, saying, This is the thing that you shall do: a third part of you, who come in on the Shabbat, shall be keepers of the watch of the king's house; ⁶ A third part shall be at the gate Sur; and a third part at the gate behind the guard: so shall you keep the watch of the house, and be a barrier. ⁷ The two companies of you, even all who go forth on the Shabbat, shall keep the watch of the house of the LORD about the king. ⁸ You shall compass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand; and he who comes within the ranks, let him be slain: and be you with the king when he goes out, and when he comes in. ⁹ The captains over hundreds did according to all that Yehoiada the Kohen commanded; and they took every man his men, those who were to come in on the Shabbat, with those who were to go out on the Shabbat, and came to Yehoiada the Kohen. ¹⁰ The Kohen delivered to the captains over hundreds the spears and shields that had been king David's, which were in the house of the LORD. ¹¹ The guard stood, every man with his weapons in his hand, from the right side of the house to the left side of the house, along by the altar and the house, by the king round about. ¹² Then he brought out the king's son, and put the crown on him, and [gave him] the testimony; and they made him king, and anointed him; and they clapped their hands, and said, [Long] live the king.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

that enter: 1 Chronicles 9:25, 1 Chronicles 23:3-6, 1 Chronicles 23:32, 1 Chronicles 24:3-6, Luke 1:8, Luke 1:9

the watch: 2 Kings 11:19, 2 Kings 16:18, 1 Kings 10:5, Jeremiah 26:10, Ezekiel 44:2, Ezekiel 44:3, Ezekiel 46:2, Ezekiel 46:3

Reciprocal: 2 Kings 11:7 - go forth 2 Chronicles 23:5 - the king's house Luke 1:23 - the days

Cross-References

Genesis 11:13
Arpakhshad lived after he became the father of Shelach four hundred three years, and became the father of sons and daughters.

Genesis 11:14
Shelach lived thirty years, and became the father of `Ever:

Genesis 11:23
Serug lived after he became the father of Nachor two hundred years, and became the father of sons and daughters.

Genesis 11:24
Nachor lived twenty-nine years, and became the father of Terach.

Genesis 18:21
I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come to me. If not, I will know."

Exodus 3:8
I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Mitzrim, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey; to the place of the Kana`ani, the Hittite, the Amori, the Perizzi, the Hivvi, and the Yevusi.

Exodus 19:11
and be ready against the third day; for on the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people on Mount Sinai.

Exodus 19:18
Mount Sinai, the whole of it, smoked, because the LORD descended on it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly.

Exodus 19:20
The LORD came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. The LORD called Moshe to the top of the mountain, and Moshe went up.

Psalms 11:4
The LORD is in his holy temple. The LORD is on his throne in heaven. His eyes observe. His eyes examine the children of men.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he commanded them, saying, this is the thing that ye shall do,.... These were the rulers over hundreds among the priests and Levites, and which he, as high priest, could command, and whom he could convene without suspicion, being such as he had a connection with, and were unarmed men: and for the better understanding of what follows, it should be observed, that the priests, in the times of David, were divided into twenty four courses, which were by turns to serve a week in the temple; the course that came in entered when the sabbath began, and that which went out went out when it ended, and each course consisted of a thousand men: now with respect to both these courses, both that which went in and that which went out, Jehoiada gave them the following charge:

a third part of you that enter in on the sabbath; on the beginning of it, to do duty in the temple the week following:

shall even be keepers of the watch of the king's house, which, according to some, was that part of the temple where the king was hid and brought up, supposed to be the north part of it: or rather these were set at the north gate of the temple, which led to the royal palace, lest any should rush out of that, and kill the king.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Five divisions of the guard under their five captains are distinguished here. Three of the five divisions “enter in” on the Sabbath; the other two “go forth” on the Sabbath 2 Kings 11:7. By the former phrase seems to be meant the mounting guard at the royal palace (the “king’s house,” where Athaliah then was); by the latter the serving of escort to the sovereign beyond the palace bounds. Jehoiada orders that of those whose business it would be to guard the palace on the ensuing Sabbath, one company or cohort should perform that task in the ordinary way, while another should watch the gate of Sur - or better, “the gate of the foundation” 2 Chronicles 23:5 - that by which the palace was usually quitted for the temple, and a third should watch another of the palace gates, called “the gate of the guard” (see 2 Kings 11:19). The two companies whose proper business it would be to serve as the royal escort beyond the palace walls, he orders to enter the temple, and surround the person of the young king.

2 Kings 11:6

That it be not broken down - The one word in the original text of which this is a translation occurs nowhere else; and its meaning is very doubtful.

2 Kings 11:8

Within the ranges - Rather, “within the ranks.” If anyone tried to break through the soldiers’ ranks to the king, or even to disturb their order, he was to be immediately slain.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Kings 11:5. That enter in on the Sabbath — It appears that Jehoiada chose the Sabbath day to proclaim the young king, because as that was a day of public concourse, the gathering together of the people who were in this secret would not be noticed; and it is likely that they all came unarmed, and were supplied by Jehoiada with the spears and shields which David had laid up in the temple, 2 Kings 11:10.

The priests and Levites were divided into twenty-four classes by David, and each served a week by turns in the temple, and it was on the Sabbath that they began the weekly service, all this favoured Jehoiada's design.